Amber Wood – Athlete (2013 Inductee)

Amber Wood

Basketball
Cherokee County Warriors all-time leading scorer with 2,172 points
Set a Class 4A & CCHS school record with 332 three point baskets
Member of the 1998 Lady Warrior Class 4A State Championship Team
1998 Regional and State Tournament Most Valuable Player
County MVP in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000
All-state honoree in 1998, 1999 and 2000
2000 4A Player of the Year Finalist
2000 USA Today Honorable Mention High School All-American Team
Cherokee County High School Class Salutatorian, 4.0 GPA
2002-03 & 2003-04 TranSouth Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete Award
2002-03 & 2003-04 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Academic All-American

Discipline on and off the court fostered an unparalleled level of success for Amber Wood. Basketball was a means to an end of acquiring an ongoing and priceless education. Honing her skills in the “Forney Forum”, a 40×50 foot gymnasium constructed by her father, Amber became a deadly sharpshooter that would register the most points ever scored in a career by a Lady Warrior. Amber would also set a Class 4A 3-point record on her way to collecting numerous honors and awards, including all-state accolades. While harvesting opportunities that arose from her athletic and academic prowess, Wood created even more for those around her. The consummate team player, Wood knew that the gimmick defenses designed to defend her would lead to openings for others to shine. In 1998, Wood and the Lady Warriors, under the direction of head coach Jason Shields, garnered the Class 4A state title with a 44-36 victory over Lawrence County. Wood was named MVP of the tournament. Amber’s high school basketball career culminated as a 4A Player of the Year finalist and as an Honorable Mention honoree on the USA Today All-American Basketball Team. Wood played one season at Clayton State University, where she set a single season record for free throw percentage of .852. Amber transferred to Berry College, where she played three more years of basketball and earned All-American status as a Scholar-Athlete. In 2004-2005 Wood assumed the role of graduate assistant with the Lady Vikings.